President Donald Trump dismissed speculation Monday that Israel might resort to using a nuclear weapon against Iran, pushing back on comments from one of his own advisers while underscoring his determination to see the conflict brought to an end.
The remarks came during a question-and-answer session with reporters, when RealClearPolitics reporter Philip Wegmann asked the president about comments recently made by AI Czar David Sacks.
Sacks had suggested that the United States should “declare victory and get out of the Iran war,” while also warning that if the conflict escalates, Israel could potentially contemplate using a nuclear weapon.
Asked whether Sacks had shared that assessment directly with him, Trump made clear he had not.
“No, he hasn’t,” the president said. “Israel wouldn’t do that. Israel would never do that.”
Trump acknowledged that some observers have floated different theories about how the conflict could unfold but stressed that his administration is focused on ending the fight in a way that prevents the problem from lingering for future administrations.
“And yeah, there’s a theory,” Trump said. “You pounded them to hell and you can just leave now and it’ll take 10 years for them to build back not nearly what they have right now. And I guess that’s another theory.”
But the president indicated he is seeking a more lasting resolution rather than leaving the issue for the next commander in chief to deal with.
“We want to have it ended so that another president doesn’t have—,” Trump said before continuing his thought about the long history of American leaders confronting the challenge posed by Iran.
“For 47 years, no president was willing to do what I’m doing,” Trump said. “And they should have done it a long time ago. It would have been a lot easier.”
The president suggested that many previous leaders recognized the problem but ultimately chose not to act decisively.
“There’s no president that wanted to do it, and yet every president knew,” Trump said.
He added that he had even discussed the issue with a former president who expressed regret about not addressing it during his own time in office.
“I’ve spoken to a certain president, who I like, actually, a past president, former president,” Trump said. “He said, ‘I wish I did it. I wish I did,’ but they didn’t do it. I’m doing it.”
The exchange highlighted the competing viewpoints surrounding the ongoing conflict. While Trump framed his actions as long overdue, some voices — including those close to the administration — have raised concerns about how the war could escalate if it continues.
Sacks, speaking on his All-In podcast, warned about the potential dangers of a widening conflict involving Israel and Iran.
“Israel could just be destroyed or very large parts of it,” Sacks said before suggesting that Israeli leaders might contemplate using a nuclear weapon under extreme circumstances.
Trump, however, rejected that scenario outright, insisting he does not believe Israel would ever take such a step.
His comments reflect the delicate balance facing policymakers as the war continues: the desire to bring a long-running confrontation to a decisive conclusion, while also avoiding the kinds of catastrophic outcomes that prolonged conflicts can sometimes produce.
For now, the president appears determined to press forward while dismissing what he sees as unlikely doomsday scenarios — even as the broader debate over how and when the war should end continues both inside and outside his administration.
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